Jolea Dru is Turning Two...In October

I cannot believe how close we are getting to Jolea's 2nd birthday. I am just watching her grow and develop day by day...hour by hour...minute by minute. She is getting so big so fast...before we know it she will be going to Kindergarten. I have decided to do her birthday in zebra, black and hot pink...so adorable. I got my inspiration from another blogger who also did this theme for her daughter's 1st birthday. I have been scouring the Internet collecting images of things I am going to "re-create" on a modest budget. So far here are a few things I have come up with! I welcome all the advice or creative juices that you wish to send my way :) I found these outfits @ Overstock.com and they are very reasonably priced...so I will have to make the tuff decision of which one I like the best...I mean which one Jolea likes the best! Since her birthday is in October, you never know what kind of weather you are going to get, so I better pick out one for the cool and one for the warm just to be on the safe side. I plan on making a birthday hat similar to this one...because I know I can make it cheaper than the 35 dollars they are asking for it :)

This is the precious tutu and zebra leggings that I plan to have her pictures made in this year. I don't know what to do in terms of a top. I was thinking I might get a white tank and some zebra fabric, then I can cut out the number 2 and iron it-on with transfer paper. I could use some hot pink ribbon or sequins to bling it up a little bit! Ideas are welcome!

These were some of my favorite cake designs. I was so disappointed with Jolea's cake last year, so I will be prepared to show the bakery "exactly" what I want this year, instead of giving them a napkin to try and re-create...blah! I was thinking about doing some cupcakes on a stand, with lots of hot pink tulle and hot pink Gerber daisies or maybe even cookies but I haven’t decided yet. I want her to have her very own round cake...that way she doesn’t get all her sweet baby slobber on everybody else's piece of the pie...or cake technically. I love the look of the fondant icing on a cake (the smooth stuff), however I am not big on the pasty-like taste. The cake in the bottom left picture is traditional butter cream...I bet it will be cheaper and it will taste better too.

I hit Hobby Lobby the other day and scored the dessert plates and matching napkins. They were a little pricey, but if I didn't buy them when I saw them they would be gone when I needed them...you know how it goes. I have already checked on the balloon situation at the Card and Party Factory and we will just do a collage of hot pink, black and zebra striped balloons for the party. I thought I would never be able to find a mini-mannequin that I would be willing to pay the price for, but on our LBK shopping trip, I scored one at TJ Maxx and the beautiful thing was it was only 11.99...I saw some at Hobby Lobby just this week and they were 29.99...so I would say I got myself a bargain. I love the idea of having the clear candy containers sitting on her table filled with hot pink, white and black M&M's, but if you have ever looked into custom coloring M&M's you know it’s outrageous...so I am currently working on a back-up plan...got ideas?...shoot them my way.

Here is my version of the mannequin and tutu...I just need to switch the polka dot ribbon with some zebra ribbon...and presto...I will be done. I am thinking about mounting hot pink Gerber daisies around the neck like you see in the picture above, but I haven't quite gotten that far yet. When Andy and I got married, the flowers we used in our wedding were multi-colored Gerber's so I have a ton of them in the attic I can use...and I wont have to spend any money on them...WooHoo!

This next picture is where the idea came to make Jolea's name in zebra and hot pink on wooden letters from Hobby Lobby (that I already had from her nursery, that she is not using anymore). I am trying to come up with a clever way to display her name somewhere on her cake table. Any ideas? I am finished with the letters, but they need some ribbon or tulle to spice them up a little bit and I would prefer that they are stuck into some kind of container on dowel rods when I display them....hmmm....we will have to wait and see what I come up with on this project.

Inspiration picture:

The next thing on the list is the invitation. I found this one, and I really like it. The trick will be finding someone who can re-create it...adding a little personal flair, but I think I have just the right person in mind. I would like to change the wording to..."A piece of cake is waiting for you because Jolea Dru is turning two!" What do you think? How does that sound?

Well I think that's it...I covered the outfits, the cake, the decorations and the invite. Did I forget anything? I am sure I did, but this is a good start and I still have plenty of time to come up with new ideas. It's so fun planning this for her, and hoping she will feel like a special little princess on her special day. She is only going to be 2 so she probably wont remember a thing about this birthday, but you can bet your bottom I will have lots of pictures for her to look at.

~Toodles~

Marvelous Monday...

Oh what fun it was to spend all day long with my little darling...just revelling in how adorable I think she is. (minus the times that she was having a moment...a.k.a...a meltdown) First, we got up bright and early...well it was bright, but it was also 8:30'ish so I don't know if you consider that early or not. Jolea ate her wholesome nutritional breakfast that consisted of a strawberry frosted pop-tart and watched the latest episode of Sid the Science Kid while Mommy was getting her hair and make-up done. Then we headed for the mall...not to shop of course...but to play! Jolea loves the play area and so do I when there aren't 5000 little kids running around like crazy. We always go "early" if we are going to go at all, and it pays off big time. We walked the mall for a little bit after that and even went back for a second dose of playing before we left. We had a few errands to do...you know...Hobby Lobby, Card and Party...those kinds of things, then we headed home for lunch and nap time. After nap time is when all the fun began. Jolea and I had our very first Tea Party in her bedroom with Green Giraffe and the Cheerleader Doll. Jolea was dressed for the occasion in her perfectly pink tutu, her pigtails and bows and that sweet little smile of hers. We had the most fun playing tea party and I might have created a little monster because when it was time to clean up, it was not a pretty sight. Here are the pictures and video clips that I was able to take of our occasion together. Enjoy :) I have the most precious video clips I wanted to share,but blogger is being sassy right now.

We decided to drive over to Grammy and Poppys house for a surprise visit last night! Grammy was gone, but Poppy was surprised. Jolea loves to play in their backyard...its much bigger than ours...and since she was such a good girl today...I thought what the heck! Oddly, when we left there, she had started running a fever...and was feeling pretty awful by the time we got home. She hasn't been sick all summer long, and I hope this is a "teething" issue or else it looks like we might be visiting good ole' Doc Steadman this week.

I was planning on taking Jolea to Fort Imagination early in the morning to play and swimming later after nap, but there is a strong chance that tomorrow might be a "stay-at-home-pj-day with a sick baby :( I hate it when she is sick and my heart just aches because I cant make it better, but I sure do enjoy the cuddle bug that she turns into when she isn't feeling well. She crawls in my lap and lets me hold her and rock her and love on her...and that just doesn't happen very often. Its a high price to pay, but those moments are PRICELESS.

Nice Weekends End Too Soon...

This was a great week for the Ward family. Andy is in full swing football mode and I have enjoyed my break from school. I go back on the 24Th, so this is my last full week home with Jolea before I go back. It kinda makes me sad, that I have gotten a taste of what being a stay at home mom would feel like, and now its already time to get back into the swing-of-things. She grows a little bit each and everyday and she is always learning something "new!" I have enjoyed our time together and we have lots of fun things planned for this week. I want to make the most of it ...and Jolea loves the attention she gets when its just the two-of-us.

I got a new camera this weekend...and I am so happy about it because I was always borrowing my Mom's and one camera split between 2 people who LOVE to take pictures...just wasn't the ideal situation. I got a Canon PowerShot A1000 IS...here it is.

I LOVE it...and I have been told by my favorite photographer (Ashley Phillips) that the Canon PowerShot is a great camera for the money. Woo Hoo...Kodak moments...here I come. Speaking of moments, allow me to introduce you to Jolea the "Cheez-ing" baby. This is her favorite pose as of right now...and it totally matches her personality...and totally cracks me up.

Today was a milestone for Jolea...she actually sit in my lap...and let me put teenie-tiny pigtails in her hair. It melted my heart...and it will now be mommy mandatory that she wear them at least to church. She was so sweet and she looked so girly in them. Although I did have to bribe her with her favorite snack to sit in my lap and let me do her hair, she never messed with them for the rest of the day and we ended up taking them out tonite before bath time...so...way to go Jolea Dru.

Another important thing to mention is that we are "PACI-FREE!" I started early last week by snipping a little off the end. I kept cutting a little more and a little more till the hole was so big that she was really just frustrated with it. So on Wednesday night after we got home from the shopping trip, she decided she didn't want it anymore. She grabbed it in her hand and walked down the hall to the kitchen and just chunked the whole thing in the trash...and that was the last of it. I just knew she would wake up in the middle of the night in a frenzy trying to find it, but she didn't and she has been a real champ about it. I'm so proud of her! Now, we have to potty-train! YIKES!

Well, its late and I have a project for Jolea's birthday to work on (more about that later) so I better close for now...

~GoodNight~

Lubbock Shopping Trip...

Our shopping trip was a success...and on a scale of 1 to 10, 1 being terrible and 10 being super-dooper, my Jolea was between a 6 or 7 the entire time. Grammy and I were so proud of her...and how well behaved she was. I mentioned earlier, that my bestie and her sweet family live in Lubbock and they were kind enough to "take us in" for the night. Reagan and Jolea were so cute playing together. They wanted to hug and hold hands everywhere they went and it was the sweetest thing I have ever seen. Its a really neat thing to watch my best friends daughter and my own daughter play together at such a young age. It makes me wonder how our lives and friendship might have turned out if we had the opportunity to know each other before the 10Th grade. Its really too bad that we live so far apart from each other because something tells me they would be the best of buds. We went to Ruby Tequilas for some really yummy Mexican food and then went home to let the girls play some more, relax and visit. It was really nice. We headed out early the next morning to do some shopping and we found some good bargains. Before we headed back to Abilene we wanted to take Jolea to Toys-R-Us for the very first time and reward her for being such a good girl. OMG...she was in heaven! She was in "awe" about all the toys and she would have taken the whole store home had it fit in the Honda. Grammy and I picked out some birthday presents too...since its right around the corner in October. Speaking of birthday...I cant wait to share with you all my birthday "stuff" that I have lined up for Jolea. I got my inspiration from Whitney Johns...a fellow blogger and friend...who has the best ideas for children's parties and decorating...go visit her blog! I don't want to close this post without a special THANKS to Grammy for coming along, and taking such good care of Jolea and I...we LOVE you...and a special THANKS to the Tomlin family for having us in their home. I leave you with some sweet photos I snapped of Jolea and Reagan.

(click collage to enlarge)

Anyone Know Anything About Shopping in Lubbock?

Yippie...Happy...Giddy...that is how I feel about getting out of Abilene to go shopping. I have said it before and I will say it again...the shopping in this town is so BLAH :( Me, Grammy and Jolea are headed to Lubbock on Tuesday for some shopping. We decided to go that direction instead of Fort Worth for 2 reasons. First: its something "different" and they have a pretty good mall. Second: my bestie lives there. She is letting us stay with her and we are going to get our girls together to play. Sounds like a Win-Win situation to me. So...for all you shop-a-holics out there...if you know about any good places that I must go to while I am there, then please reply to this post. I love good shopping and we don't get to do it very often, so the more details, the better!

We Got Cash For Our Clunker :)

We finally... took the plunge...and traded in the 96' Chevy with over 339 thousand miles on it...got the 4500 dollar rebate plus another incentive and got this...a 2009 Mitsubishi Outlander. A special "Thank You" is in order to Andy's Mom and Dad for "giving" us the Chevy in the first place. That truck has been a real "trooper" over the years. They were sweet enough to give it to us right after Jolea was born, just to help make ends meet...and it really did. It has been a blessing not having 2 car payments, and although 2 car payments isn't something we intended on...the auto deals that are out there right now are really hard to pass up. Paying for the new car wont be nearly as fun as driving it, but its safe, dependable and it gets great gas mileage. Jolea likes riding in the new car because she is elevated and can actually see out the window as we are driving. The color is Manitoba Green...I have only ever owned white vehicles, so choosing the color was a big step for me. I have really fallen in love with it though because sometimes when I look at it I see a charcoal color, then other times I see a grey color...so really its like the car changes colors :) We really liked the chrome accents too...they just add a little bling! Vroom...Vroom!!!

(As always click on each collage to enlarge the picture)

Playdate with Baby Ava...

Jolea and I got up early this morning...7:12 AM to be exact...thanks to the muts next door...AGAIN! We got a sweet invitation to the Zoo this morning from my cousin Mysti and her sweet baby girl Ava. So off to the zoo we went...and it was hot. The girls had a good time cruising around in their strollers, looking at all the animals and of course feeding the giraffes. My Jolea wasn't real sure about that whole giraffe tongue touching her hand...so she just kinda tossed the cracker to him to avoid any contact...it was funny. She was acting the part since she did look like a superstar in her dress that Mema made her and those Tinkerbell shades that her daddy bought her. Ava on the other hand was all about it...she just let that giraffe eat right from her hand and she thought it was hilarious! After the zoo it was time to head home, eat lunch and take a nap...which is exactly the reason I am blogging right now...but I better make it snappy cause she could arise at any moment.

Since I am going to be home with Jolea until I go back to school in late August, I thought it would be a good idea to take the "plunge" and get rid of the paci. So last night I took the scissors to it and sliced a hole in the top of it. Did she cry...no not really...did it bother her...no not really...do I think this is going to work...no not really. I will have to cut it until all that is left is the shell, and then I will have a new problem on my hands because I am sure that even though she cant suck on it, she will want to hold it or take it to bed with her every night. So anyone out there in blogville that has any paci pointers...send them my way PLEASE.

I don't think we have any big plans for the weekend...which makes my heart sing! Sometimes a nice quiet weekend at home is all you need...and I think that is what we are going to get! Happy Friday to everyone.

Sweet Summer Girl...a Date...and a Busy Day

Whew...what a day! Grammy was sweet enough to keep Jolea last night and this morning to let me have the morning to "sleep" in and the afternoon to "get things" done. Well...sleeping in wasn't really an option thanks to my neighbors annoying...I mean chirpy dogs! Ugh...they were barking from the moment the sun came up and eventually it just wasn't worth it to lay there in bed tossing and turning, trying to tune them out, so I decided to get up and get things done. I did dishes, vacuumed, swept and mopped all the floors, did 2 loads of laundry and even went outside and gave my car a bath! Needless to say I have felt very accomplished all day long...even though I am slightly tired because my neighbor's muts...I mean dogs ruined my chances of a nice long morning slumber :(

Last night Andy and I went on a date! It was fun. We went to see The Ugly Truth...and it was...well a little risque, but we are humorous people so we thought it was funny...and both of us like Katherine Heigl, so it was a win win situation for the both of us. It wasn't to chick-flicky and it wasn't to manly either. After the movie we headed to Chili's for a late dinner and my all time favorite "Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie"...Oh...yum! Thanks Grammy for keeping the little Angel...we really appreciate you.

So since I was home alone this morning I decided to snap a few pictures of our new home. There are still some bare walls that need tending too, but for the most part we are settled...and that's a good feeling considering that football is in full swing.

This is our living room and my Mom bought me the curtains as a house-warming gift...and I love them. The colors are so rich...and I love how warm and inviting it makes the room feel. Hmm...did you notice the big'ol TV sitting on the stand? Yeah that was Andy's "must have" purchase...but I must agree I am getting pretty used to it...and you should have seen the monster we were using before...can you say Ghetto?

Guest room...same stuff...different place

This is my garage sale bargain kitchen table...wouldn't you know I was looking for black and that is exactly what I found...you know what they say "One man's trash is another man's treasure"

Jolea's room...this mantle is also a "garage sale" bargain...I love how it turned out and I plan on using it in all of her bedroom...even when she gets into her "Big Girl" bedroom soon.

Isn't this kitchen cute...it's yet another "garage sale" find...and let me tell you...she loves this thing!

And another bargain...this precious table

One of the sweetest ladies at church painted this for Jolea...it matches her bedding and is one of my favorite things in her room!

Guest bathroom...which means there is more than 1 bathroom which means I am a VERY happy lady :) Wasn't sure about the leopard print wall paper...but I'm a sucker for a little animal print every now and then...and I actually really like it! Wall paper kinda gives me the willies...and you don't see it very often anymore...but hey...it works!

Master bedroom. We got new bedding...the best thing was that it's from Sam's and it was a 16 piece set...not to shabby and I love the green and brown combo...I still hate the bedroom furniture...if anyone is interested...call me I will make you a deal!

I also wanted to share some of Jolea's latest photos! The swimming suit she is wearing is Juicy Couture and I got it last year at the Dittos For Kiddo's sale. I've always said its never a good idea to have anything written across the butt of your pants, but this suit says "Juicy" across the bottom and I just had to have it! So Cute! She is just so adorable in it and she can get away with it at this age and its great ammo for later down the road when she is oh...lets say 18 years old...and would you check out those buns? The kid loves the water...and loves playing outside. I'm terrified at the thought of trying to find something for her to do this winter.

I See Fall in the Future...

Grammy and I went shopping yesterday and I couldn't help but notice all the fall'ish things I am beginning to see. I love the fall, the crisp cool October air...football...pumpkins...halloween...changing leaves...and I could go on and on. Speaking of fall, Grammy bought Jolea some of the cutest fall things at the Children's Place. I also found some things on clearance that were a steal-of-a-deal and I couldn't pass them up. I just love shopping for that little princess. The clothing they make these days for kids is just so darn cute!!! Here are a few pictures of some of the bargains we got.

Annual Family PK Lake Trip 2009

Every year we pack in the "Honey" a.k.a the 1985 family RV...chugga lugga lug...and we make the trip down to Possum Kingdom Lake for some fun in the sun with family and friends. This year was a little bit different. We stayed at the Fox Hollow Resorts instead. Their definition and my definition of resort is a lot different, but it was an air-conditioned place to rest our heads at night and to shower! They also had a great little restaurant too that we ate supper at on Friday night and breakfast on Sunday before heading home! Our cabin was the last cabin on the right in the picture.

My Aunt has a boat at The Breakers so we spend most of the day hanging out on the dock and swimming, and grazing on all the snacks and munchies we could ever want. The dock was a little too nerve-wracking for me because Jolea is just "too busy" and I was a wreck that she was going to fall right off the edge and into the water. I made her wear her life jacket all day long and she wasn't too thrilled with that idea. She loves the water and as long as it wasn't nap time, I think she was having fun. My parents have some long time friends that joined us this year and they have a precious little 5 year old...her name is McKenna. Jolea and McKenna loved sitting in the tube and being pulled by the jet-ski...it was so cute to hear Jolea's sweet little giggle every time they took off.

Andy and my Dad decided to dive...just for fun...I don't think they could see much around the dock, but later that day when we went over to Hell's Gate they had much better visibility. We asked them to bring us a sunken treasure when they came back to the boat, but they were empty handed. Those boys love to dive, and I guess the practice is good for them too.

During the day when I got tired of chasing Jolea around I tied the tube up to the dock and just let her "have-at-it" It was really deep so she couldn't get out even if she wanted too. They had a better time doing that, than just about anything else! Silly Girls!

Here are a few more pictures from the weekend. By the time Sunday morning rolled around, we were sunburned and ready to get home to sleep in our own beds and shower in our own shower. Lake weekends always wear me out.

This is James, Bren, Debbie and Grammy chilling on the dock :)

River Trip 2009

Finally after all these years, I was able to do something fun and out of the ordinary with my best friend, her husband and several others. We made reservations in January to go stay at the Gruene River Outpost Lodge in Gruene Texas and float the Comal river. Now, our accomodations were located right on the Guadalupe River, but it was so low we decided to shuttle over and float the Comal instead. It's the perfect length of float too...not too short and not too long...and just the right amount of fun. We went down late Thursday night and we strolled the streets of Gruene on Friday morning before we got on the river. I just love sweet little towns like that one. Everything is so old and charming. There were flowers everywhere and big over grown shade trees that lingered across the roads. We did a little shopping, strolling and picture taking of course:)

Jaclyn and I modeling our new hats :)

Wine tasting in Gruene

The view right outside our room was awesome. It was just a few steps away from the river bank. There was a tree swing just across the river...and I was so proud of myself for making it across and up the ladder so I could swing with all my might!!!

We stopped in at the Grist Mill for dinner on Saturday night before hitting up the Gruene Dancehall. Jaclyn's husbands cousin is the lead singer in the Britt Lloyd Band. Would'nt ya know it...he just happened to be playing there that night...so of course we couldnt miss out on the show. If you are into Texas Country music...you should go check them out for sure.

Dinner was delicious and I LOVE the charm and character of the restaurant. The views were beautiful all around us, and the Sangria was really refreshing.

We had a great time with some of our dearest friends...and who knows, maybe this trip will become a tradition. I have always loved the Hill Country, mixed in with a little sunshine, sunscreen, the cool river and a tube to float it. Good times!

Back to Bloggin...

Okay...so if it seems as though the Ward family fell off the face of the earth...have no fear because we are back...and in action, after 39 long days without any blogging. This has been the busiest summer we have ever had together! I am officially done with summer school (12 hours) as of this morning...and I think I might have made all A's, even in my math class. For those of you who "really" know me, you know that I am not a math person! Since I have so much to catch up I am going to do a series of posts, because as they say..."Its better late than never...right?" I need to catch you up on the Luau that my best friend hosted, the Guadalupe/Comal river trip, the annual family trip to PK lake and of course the latest pics of our little darling.